Methods for Dyeing Textile Substrates

ABSTRACT

A method for preparing a dyed textile substrate having a front pile area, a back pile area, a selvage, and a hem, the method having the steps of creating a textile substrate using a back pile material, front pile material, and warp and weft material, the color of the back pile material having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the front pile material, and applying a design color to a front pile area of the textile substrate, the color of the back pile material having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the design color, the color of the front pile area having a lightness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the design color, the color of the back pile material masking the design color bleeding from the front pile area to the back pile area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/539,376, filed on Sep. 26, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

In the dyeing and printing of textile substrates to obtain various colored pattern effects, it is the practice to utilize multiple colors and to print or apply dye to fabric with desired colors to produce a desired pattern. Printing equipment such as screens, rollers, spray jets, and the like can be used to apply different colored dyestuffs to areas of the fabric surface to produce a design.

In the printing of textile substrates having a relatively porous surface, such as pile fabrics, there is a problem in controlling the bleeding between the front pile area and the back pile area. Dyes are permanent and bind deep inside the fibers of the fabric allowing for the fabric to retain it natural softness when touched. When different dyes are applied to a pile fabric area, they tend to bleed or migrate into the pile area on the opposite side of the textile substrate, thus producing design defects and undesirable offshades. Some techniques have been developed to prevent bleeding, however such techniques result in the back pile area without dye.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure pertains to a method for preparing a dyed textile substrate having a front pile area, a back pile area, a selvage, and a hem, the method having the steps of creating a textile substrate using a back pile material, front pile material, and warp and weft material, the color of the back pile material having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the front pile material, and applying a design color to a front pile area of the textile substrate, the color of the back pile material having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the design color, the color of the front pile area having a lightness that is substantially similar to or less than the color of the design color. In one aspect of the disclosure, the color of the back pile material masks the design color bleeding from the front pile area to the back pile area. In one aspect of the disclosure, the color of the back pile material masks the design color absorption from the printing table to the back pile area. In one aspect of the disclosure, the color of the warp and weft material has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the design color, the color of the warp and weft material masking the design color applied to the selvage. In one aspect of the disclosure, the color of the warp and weft material has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the design color, the color of the warp and weft material masking the design color applied to the hem. In one aspect of the disclosure, the step of applying a design color to a front pile area of the textile substrate is performed utilizing a stencil.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the textile substrate is selected from the group of textile substrates consisting of knitted, woven, and non-woven fabric. In one aspect of the disclosure, the textile substrate is selected form the group of textile substrates consisting of carpets, upholstery, towels, draperies, apparel, and velvets. In one aspect of the disclosure, the textile substrate is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of cotton, neoprene, spandex, polypropylene, polyester, nylon, metallocene catalyst polyethylene, regenerated cellulose fiber, bamboo, and rayon.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the method has the step of bleaching the front pile area. In one aspect of the disclosure, the step of bleaching the front pile area is performed in a manner that avoids bleaching the back pile area.

With those and other objects, advantages and features on the invention that may become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims, and the drawings attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top down view of a towel according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of preparing textile substrates with printed patterns or designs in a manner that masks bleeding between the front side and back side of a textile substrate and/or mask overlapping printing from one area of the textile substrate to another area of the textile substrate. While the textile substrate can be any type of fabric, for example, knitted, woven, non-woven fabric, or the like, the textile substrate is preferably a relatively porous fabric, particularly those having a pile surface effect, for example, without limitation, carpets, upholstery, towels, draperies, apparel, velvets, or the like. The textile substrate can be made of any type of material suitable to create fabric, for example, cotton, neoprene, spandex, polypropylene, polyester, nylon, metallocene catalyst polyethylene, regenerated cellulose fiber, bamboo, rayon, or the like.

While any type of textile substrate can be prepared, a towel 10 will be used to describe an exemplary embodiment. The towel 10 can be prepared by any conventional method. Most commonly, the towel 10 is prepared by knitting or weaving back pile material, front pile material, and warp and weft material together so as to form a sheet of material having a front pile area 20, back pile area 30, selvage 40, and hem 50. The front pile area 20 has a first region 22 with an initial color and a second region 24 with a design color. Although generally rectangular in shape, towel 10 can assume any desired shape, for example, without limitation, circular, oval, or the like.

In one embodiment, the back pile material, or material used to create the back pile area 30, has a desired color having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the desired color of the front pile material, or material used to create the front pile area 20, thereby allowing the bleeding of the design color of the second region 24 from the front pile area 20 to the back pile area 30 to be masked by the color of the back pile area 30. In one embodiment, the method has the step of selecting back pile material, where the color of the back pile material has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the front pile material. While the back pile material can be any color suitable to mask a color having substantially similar or greater lightness, the back pile material is preferably black.

In one embodiment, the warp and weft material yarns, or material used to create the selvages 40, for example, yarn or the like, have a desired color having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the back pile material and the design color of the second region 24, thereby allowing for the color of the dyestuffs used to dye the design color of the second region 24 and/or the back pile area 30 to be masked by the darker color of the selvages 40. In one embodiment, the method has the step of selecting warp and weft yarns, where the color of the warp and weft yarns has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the back pile material and/or darker than the design color of the second region 24. While the selvages 40 can be any color suitable to mask a color, the selvages 40 are preferably black.

In one embodiment, the warp and weft material yarns, or material used to create the hems 50, for example, yarn or the like, have a desired color having a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the back pile material and the design color of the second region 24, thereby allowing for the color of the dyestuffs used to dye the design color of the second region 24 and/or the back pile area 30 to be masked by the darker color of the hems 50. In one embodiment, the method has the step of selecting warp and weft yarns, where the color of the warp and weft yarns has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the back pile material and/or darker than the design color of the second region 24. While the hems 50 can be any color suitable to mask a color, the hems 50 are preferably black.

In one embodiment, where the desired color of the initial color is white and the color of the front pile area 20 is white, dyestuffs with the initial color are not applied to the front pile area 20. In one embodiment, where the desired color of the initial color is white and the color of the front pile area 20 is non-white, the front pile area 20 is bleached to create a white front pile area 20. In one embodiment, the front pile area 20 is bleached in a manner that avoids bleaching the back pile area 30. In one embodiment, a pattern or design is bleached into the front pile area 20. In one embodiment, where the desired color of the initial color is non-white and the color of the front pile area 20 is white, a dye with a desired color of the initial color can be applied to the front pile area 20, thereby dyeing the front pile area 20 the desired color of the initial color. In one embodiment, where the desired color of the initial color is the same as the color of the front pile area 20, neither dyestuffs with the initial color nor bleach are applied to the front pile area 20.

In one embodiment, where the desired color of the back pile area 30 is white and the color of the fabric of the back pile area 30 is non-white, the back pile area 30 is bleached to create a back pile area 30 colored white. In one embodiment, the back pile area 30 is bleached in a manner that avoids bleaching the front pile area 20.

In one embodiment, the design color of the second region 24 is applied to the front pile area 20. The design color has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the initial color allowing for the color of the front pile area 20 in the area in which the design color is applied to be masked by the application of the design color. The design color has a lightness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the selvages 40 and/or hems 50 allowing for the design color that overlaps onto the selvages 40 and/or hems 50 to be masked by the color of the selvages 40 and/or hems 50 and preventing the overlapping portion from being clearly visible. The design color can have a lightness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the back pile area 30 allowing for the design color that bleeds from the front pile area 20 to the back pile area 30 and/or residual dye residing on the printing table to be absorbed by the back pile area 30 as a result of the residual dye remaining on the surface of the printing table from the application of dye to a previously prepared towel 10 to be masked by the color of the back pile area 30. The design color is preferably black. While the design color is preferably one color, the design color can be a plurality of colors, for example, red, black, and silver.

The design color can be applied to the front pile area 20 using a stencil (not shown) having a design. The design can be any combination or shapes, letters, numbers, or the like. The stencil is placed onto the front pile area 20 and the design color is applied to the stencil and front pile area 20 exposed by the stencil. The stencil prevents the design color from being applied to the entire front pile area 20 thereby providing for the display of a design on the front pile area 20.

In one embodiment, the back color is applied to the back pile area 30. The back color has a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the design color thereby hiding the undesirable bleeding of the design color between the front pile area 20 and the back pile area 30. The back color is preferably black. The back color masks residual dye inadvertently absorbed by the back pile area 30 as a result of the residual dye remaining on the surface of the printing table from the application of dye to a previously prepared towel 10. The ability to mask the residual dye allows for costly cleaning procedures of the printing table to be avoided and potential color defects to be reduced.

The foregoing has described the principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments described above, as they should be regarded as being illustrative and not as restrictive. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. 

1. An method for preparing a dyed textile substrate utilizing a stationary printing table comprising a front pile area, a back pile area, a selvage, and a hem, the method comprising the steps of: creating a textile substrate using a back pile material, front pile material, and warp and weft material, the color of the back pile material comprising a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the color of the front pile material, and applying a design color to a front pile area of the textile substrate, the color of the back pile material comprising a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the design color, the color of the front pile area comprising a lightness that is substantially similar to or greater than the design color.
 2. A method of claim 1 wherein the color of the back pile material masks the design color bleeding from the front pile area to the back pile area.
 3. A method of claim 1 wherein the color of the back pile material masks the design color absorption from the printing table to the back pile area.
 4. A method of claim 1 wherein the warp and weft material comprises a color comprising a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the design color, the color of the warp and weft material masking the design color applied to the selvage.
 5. A method of claim 1 wherein the warp and weft material comprises a color comprising a darkness that is substantially similar to or greater than the design color, the color of the warp and weft material masking the design color applied to the hem.
 6. A method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying a design color to a front pile area of the textile substrate is performed utilizing a stencil.
 7. A method of claim 1 wherein the textile substrate is selected from the group of textile substrates consisting of knitted, woven, and non-woven fabric.
 8. A method of claim 1 wherein the textile substrate is selected form the group of textile substrates consisting of carpets, upholstery, towels, draperies, and velvets.
 9. A method of claim 1 wherein the textile substrate is formed from materials selected from the group consisting of cotton, polyester, neoprene, spandex, polypropylene, polyester, nylon, polyethylene, and metallocene catalyst polyethylene.
 10. A method of claim 1 further comprising the step of bleaching the front pile area.
 11. A method of claim 10 wherein the step of bleaching the front pile area is performed in a manner that avoids bleaching the back pile area. 